CPSS Crisis Support 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an example of a SECONDARY crisis stressor that a peer support specialist should be prepared to address?
- The original traumatic event that triggered the crisis
- Financial problems, housing instability, or relationship conflicts that arise after an initial crisis (Correct answer)
- The peer's genetic predisposition to mental illness
- A clinician's formal diagnosis made during a crisis assessment
Correct answer: Financial problems, housing instability, or relationship conflicts that arise after an initial crisis
Secondary stressors are the practical and social problems that compound after an initial crisis event and can perpetuate or worsen the crisis if unaddressed.
Question 2: After a peer has stabilized following a crisis, what is the peer support specialist's MOST important follow-up action?
- Close the case since the crisis has passed
- Schedule a follow-up contact to check in, reinforce coping strategies, and connect to ongoing supports (Correct answer)
- Report the incident to law enforcement as a precaution
- Reduce contact to avoid making the peer dependent on support
Correct answer: Schedule a follow-up contact to check in, reinforce coping strategies, and connect to ongoing supports
Post-crisis follow-up is essential to reinforce gains, identify any recurrence of warning signs, and ensure connection to sustainable support.
Question 3: A peer support specialist notices they feel emotionally numb and detached after repeated crisis interventions. This is MOST likely a sign of:
- Burnout or compassion fatigue requiring self-care and supervision (Correct answer)
- Improved professional objectivity that should be maintained
- A normal permanent adaptation to working in crisis settings
- Hostility toward peers that requires disciplinary review
Correct answer: Burnout or compassion fatigue requiring self-care and supervision
Emotional numbness and detachment are hallmark signs of compassion fatigue or burnout, which must be addressed through self-care, supervision, and peer support.
Question 4: Which of the following statements BEST describes the use of personal disclosure during a crisis intervention?
- Peer specialists should always share detailed personal crisis stories to show empathy
- Personal disclosure should be brief, purposeful, and focused on instilling hope for the peer (Correct answer)
- Personal disclosure is inappropriate in crisis settings and should be avoided entirely
- Personal disclosure should include clinical diagnoses to build credibility
Correct answer: Personal disclosure should be brief, purposeful, and focused on instilling hope for the peer
In crisis settings, strategic and limited self-disclosure can normalize the peer's experience and instill hope, but should never shift focus away from the person in crisis.
Question 5: What does the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework emphasize that aligns with the peer support role?
- Clinical diagnosis and medication management as primary interventions
- Collaborative problem-solving with the person at risk, treating them as the expert on their own experience (Correct answer)
- Hospitalization as the default response to any suicidal ideation
- Avoidance of discussing suicide directly to prevent contagion
Correct answer: Collaborative problem-solving with the person at risk, treating them as the expert on their own experience
CAMS is grounded in collaboration, treating the person at risk as a partner in their own care — a principle that strongly aligns with peer support values.
Question 6: When supporting a peer experiencing a psychiatric emergency involving psychosis, the peer support specialist should PRIMARILY:
- Attempt to convince the peer that their perceptions are incorrect using logical arguments
- Remain calm, use simple clear language, avoid confrontation, and stay with the peer until clinical help arrives (Correct answer)
- Leave the peer alone to avoid overstimulation until symptoms pass
- Physically restrain the peer to prevent self-injury
Correct answer: Remain calm, use simple clear language, avoid confrontation, and stay with the peer until clinical help arrives
Remaining calm, using clear simple language, and avoiding confrontation de-escalates psychotic episodes until clinical support arrives.
Question 7: In North Carolina's crisis system, what is the role of a Mobile Crisis Management (MCM) team in relation to peer support services?
- MCM teams replace peer support services for all crisis situations
- MCM teams provide on-site clinical crisis response that can work alongside peer support specialists to address acute needs (Correct answer)
- MCM teams only respond to law enforcement referrals and are not accessible to peer support specialists
- MCM teams handle documentation for peer support specialists during crises
Correct answer: MCM teams provide on-site clinical crisis response that can work alongside peer support specialists to address acute needs
North Carolina's MCM teams provide community-based clinical crisis response and can collaborate with peer support specialists to offer a more comprehensive response.
CPSS Crisis Support 3
Which of the following is an example of a SECONDARY crisis stressor that a peer support specialist should be prepared to address?